Eoin Murphy clears the danger at the end of a gripping All Ireland SHC Semi-Final replay at Semple Stadium in 2016.
Saturday July 8
All Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Qualifiers Round 2
Tipperary v Dublin, Semple Stadium, Thurles, 5pm
Can the All Ireland champions recapture the pace, power, and polish demonstrated throughout 2016?
Last Saturday the only thing that counted for Tipperary was the fact that Westmeath were defeated. The performance didn't exactly delight Michael Ryan, who acknowledged that significant improvement will be required.
Since 2007 Tipperary have beaten Dublin three times in the Championship, but they were given a serious scare in 2011.
Tipperary eventually pulled clear to won 1-19 to 0-18, but three years later at the Quarter-Final stage the Premier County were convincing 13 point victors.
Ger Cunningham has opted to give youth a real fling with Dublin, who blizted Laois in Round 1.
Despite playing into the teeth of a strong wind against Laois, Dublin still led by a point at the break before seizing control.
Eamon Dillon carries a pacy goalscoring threat and rattled the Laois net twice, while David Treacy was accurate also.
Dillon and Treacy supplied the leadership in an attack featuring promising youngsters Donal Burke and Cian O'Sullivan.
Against Westmeath Tipperary afforded Championship debuts to goalkeeper Daragh Mooney, Tomas Hamill, and Joe O'Dwyer in defence.
The importance of James Barry and Padraic Maher to the Tipperary cause shouldn't be underestimated.
Up front Tipperary will be hoping that Seamus Callanan can rediscover the form of 2016.
The Allianz Hurling League Final and Munster Championship defeats to Galway and Cork were worrying, but Tipperary are still only win away from an All Ireland Quarter-Final. Reaching that stage is the current objective.
TIPPERARY: Daragh Mooney; Donagh Maher, Tomas Hamill, James Barry; Joe O'Dwyer, Ronan Maher, Padraic Maher; Brendan Maher, Michael Breen; Jason Forde, Patrick Maher, Dan McCormack; John O'Dwyer, Seamus Callanan, John McGrath.
DUBLIN: Conor Dooley; Cian O'Callaghan, Eoghan O'Donnell, Fionn O Riain Broin; Sean Moran, Chris Crummey, Shane Barrett; Ben Quinn, Niall McMorrow; Donal Burke, Liam Rushe, Cian O'Sullivan; Eamon Dillon, Ryan O'Dwyer, David Treacy.
The start of the drawn 2016 All Ireland SHC Semi-Final at Croke Park.
Kilkenny v Waterford, Semple Stadium, Thurles, 7pm
** **
Thirteen previous Championship clashes have yielded 10 Kilkenny victories, one Waterford win, and two draws.
Waterford haven't defeated Kilkenny in the Championsjip since an All Ireland Final replay in 1959. Will that run be ended at Semple Stadium on Saturday evening.
In the intervening 58 years Waterford had opportunities to defeat Kilkenny especially in 2013 and last year.
Two thrilling All Ireland Semi-Finals in 2016 confirmed how good Derek McGrath's Waterford can be. Crucially, though, Kilkenny survived at Croke Park before winning a similarly gripping replay in Thurles.
That match went the distance, Eoin Murphy's stunning fetch to deny Pauric Mahony's last gasp free a moment that was both cruel and class.
Kilkenny's subsequent losses to Tipperary and Wexford in the Championship brought plenty of woe.
Waterford suffered a setback when beaten by Cork, but McGrath was pleased by how his team responded when outfoxing Offaly.
"The complete over-reaction to losing the match was something the players and the management have had to live with for the last two weeks," McGrath commented in relation to the Cork setback.
"That can seep its way through to a less mentally resolute team than that team. I'm just glad that didn't happen.
"We hurled and we played, we reverted to type if you like. We did what we did best, we showed our unity and togetherness, our purpose, and that's what we're about."
Stephen O'Keefe was sound between the sticks making one top drawer save; Jamie Barron cut a dash at centrefield; Austin Gleeson struck six points. Small, but nonetheless important signs.
The Kilkenny challenge will differ in physicality and poise.
Brian Cody's team had sufficient strength to pull away from a gritty Limerick outfit at Nowlan Park with Paul Murphy and Cillian Buckley effective contributors in defence.
Michael Fennelly's stability at midfield, Paddy Deegan's three points, Walter Walsh's scoring and workrate were other key factors in that game.
Waterford's stickwork and approach will examine Kilkenny. Can the Cats find the requisite answers again? Can Waterford take a prized scalp? The only certainty is that one legitimate All Ireland contender will be dumped from the reckoning.
KILKENNY: Eoin Murphy; Paul Murphy, Padraig Walsh, Joey Holden; Conor Fogarty, Cillian Buckley, Joe Lyng; Michael Fennelly, Paddy Deegan; Chris Bolger, Walter Walsh, TJ Reid; Richie Hogan, Colin Fennelly, Ger Aylward.
WATERFORD: Stephen O'Keeffe; Shane Fives, Barry Coughlan, Noel Connors; Tadhg de Burca, Austin Gleeson, Philip Mahony; Jamie Barron, Conor Gleeson; Kevin Moran, Pauric Mahony, Jake Dillon; Shane Bennett, Michael Walsh, Darragh Fives.
